Slow wifi - Distance from Router

C

ChrisCooney

Silver Level Poster
Hi all! I'm looking for advice on what I can do to improve WIFI speed. Speeds right next to my router are ~300mbps. Speeds record on my PC, which is on the top floor, are around 150mbps. I can't move the router because it's hooked into the phone line and I can't move the PC because my wife will murder me, so I'm looking for advice on how to improve the connection.

I've tried using the TP-Link wireless extender. After getting it installed, I connected my PC to it and it was much, much slower (around 15mbps) so that was a bust! The extender I bought was the BT Essentials Wi-Fi Extender

I'm thinking of perhaps getting a better antenna than the one that came with the PCSpecialist build but wondering if that's just a pointless waste of money!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Chris

PS:

PC Specs:

CaseCOOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
MotherboardASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
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Change to: 24GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3090 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY DriveNOT REQUIRED
Power SupplyCORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor CoolingCorsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal PasteSTANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound CardONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network CardWIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt OptionsMIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating SystemWindows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System LanguageUnited Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery MediaWindows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office SoftwareFREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-VirusNO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
BrowserGoogle Chrome™
Keyboard & MouseNONE
 
Last edited by a moderator:
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
ChrisCooney said:
Hi all! I'm looking for advice on what I can do to improve WIFI speed. Speeds right next to my router are ~300mbps. Speeds record on my PC, which is on the top floor, are around 150mbps. I can't move the router because it's hooked into the phone line and I can't move the PC because my wife will murder me, so I'm looking for advice on how to improve the connection.

I've tried using the TP-Link wireless extender. After getting it installed, I connected my PC to it and it was much, much slower (around 15mbps) so that was a bust! The extender I bought was the BT Essentials Wi-Fi Extender

I'm thinking of perhaps getting a better antenna than the one that came with the PCSpecialist build but wondering if that's just a pointless waste of money!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Chris

PS:

PC Specs:

CaseCOOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
MotherboardASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
down_right_arrow.gif
Change to: 24GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3090 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY DriveNOT REQUIRED
Power SupplyCORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor CoolingCorsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal PasteSTANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound CardONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network CardWIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt OptionsMIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating SystemWindows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System LanguageUnited Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery MediaWindows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office SoftwareFREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-VirusNO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
BrowserGoogle Chrome™
Keyboard & MouseNONE
Click to expand...
That extender is from 2009 and won't support most modern standards, certainly not what your card is designed for.

In this day and age, wifi extenders and repeaters should not be used, they're outdated and a poor experience.

There won't be anything wrong with the antenna on the card unless they're not connected properly.

These days, a mesh wifi puck system is the way to go.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Martinr36

Martinr36

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
C

ChrisCooney

Silver Level Poster
SpyderTracks said:
That extender is from 2009 and won't support most modern standards, certainly not what your card is designed for.

In this day and age, wifi extenders and repeaters should not be used, they're outdated and a poor experience.

There won't be anything wrong with the antenna on the card unless they're not connected properly.

These days, a mesh wifi puck system is the way to go.
Click to expand...
If it's worth the spend, more than happy to give it a punt. Could you recommend any models?
 
C

ChrisCooney

Silver Level Poster
Martinr36 said:
If you can't afford to go the way @SpyderTracks suggested then maybe a powerline extender is the answer

TP-Link TL-WPA4220KIT 2-Port Powerline Adapter WiFi Starter Kit, Range Extender, Broadband/WiFi Extender, WiFi Booster/Hotspot, No Configuration Required, UK Plug - Amazon.co.uk

Buy TP-Link TL-WPA4220KIT 2-Port Powerline Adapter WiFi Starter Kit, Range Extender, Broadband/WiFi Extender, WiFi Booster/Hotspot, No Configuration Required, UK Plug
smile.amazon.co.uk
Click to expand...
Ooo this looks cool - is this more reliable than a wifi extender?
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
ChrisCooney said:
Ooo this looks cool - is this more reliable than a wifi extender?
Click to expand...
Those basically use your electrical cables as a network route, it all depends on your internal wiring and the age of the building as to how reliable they'll be. They're also old technology now, but they're an option.

For mesh kits, depends on the distance you're needing to cover? If you're only wanting it to serve the PC, that's one thing, but they're designed to fully blanket the whole house if you needed that. Depending on what kind of cover you need relates to how many pucks you need.
 
C

ChrisCooney

Silver Level Poster
SpyderTracks said:
Those basically use your electrical cables as a network route, it all depends on your internal wiring and the age of the building as to how reliable they'll be. They're also old technology now, but they're an option.

For mesh kits, depends on the distance you're needing to cover? If you're only wanting it to serve the PC, that's one thing, but they're designed to fully blanket the whole house if you needed that. Depending on what kind of cover you need relates to how many pucks you need.
Click to expand...
This is a very selfish endeavour. I want the room with my gaming PC to have super fast internet. That's the game we're playing here!
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Scott said:
I edited your original post. I'm pretty sure it had your license code for Windows on it.
Click to expand...
Ooo, god, sorry, completely missed that, glad you spotted it (y)
ChrisCooney said:
This is a very selfish endeavour. I want the room with my gaming PC to have super fast internet. That's the game we're playing here!
Click to expand...
In that case a powerline adapter may be the best option, although the one @Martinr36 listed is a very basic model, this one is a little more current if the price isn't prohibitive:

TP-Link AV1000 Gigabit Powerline ac Wi-Fi Kit, Broadband/WiFi Extender, WiFi Booster/Hotspot, Up to 300 meters over existing electrical wiring, No Configuration Required, UK Plug(TL-WPA7517 KIT) - TP-Link

Buy TP-Link AV1000 Gigabit Powerline ac Wi-Fi Kit, Broadband/WiFi Extender, WiFi Booster/Hotspot, Up to 300 meters over existing electrical wiring, No Configuration Required, UK Plug(TL-WPA7517 KIT) at Amazon.
smile.amazon.co.uk

The idea is you plug the masterplug into a plug socket directly in the wall (not into an extender of any sort), and plug an ethernet cable from it to the router. Then plug the receiver in the room with your PC and either connect via wifi or ethernet cable. That will then relay the network over your electrical wiring in the walls. Clever stuff.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
JediMonsoon said:
What would you recommend for the mesh system?
Click to expand...
For mesh there are loads of good options, personally these are my favorites in order of reliability and performance:

Netgear Orbi
Ubiquiti AmpliFi
Amazon Eero Pro
Google Nest (be aware this routes all traffic through googles servers and they data mine)
TPLink Deco

I started out with the Google Wifi which was their first model before the Nest range, and it completely transformed years and years of wireless frustrations. Before then I was using powerline adapters and would have spent around the same as I had so many littered around the house trying to eradicate deadspots, and had intermittent outages often which required restarting the receiver / masterplug. Was incredibly annoying. At the time as well, powerline adapters were far more expensive than they are now, around double the cost.

There are various models in each range offering increased speeds, so you just pick the one that you require based on your router / future proofing requirements. Similarly, the amount of pucks you require is based on the area you're trying to cover, and the style of house you live in. If it's a 2 bed flat or something, you'll be fine with the base model, as you go up in size, you can add in an extra puck. You don't need to buy them as one full set, you can add on extra pucks as you go or if you move to a larger space, so it's really easy. Also setup and maintenance is all done through an app on your mobile, and it's SOOOOOO nice compared to the old web interfaces on routers, just so much better designed for users.
 
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SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Just furthermore, Ubiquiti are an American company that have only recently really come into the home section over in the UK, but they've been around in the corporate space for quite a while now, they really pioneered a lot of long range Wi-Fi / microwave communications and really were the ones to successfully bring mesh Wi-Fi to the mainstream.

They are ones to watch, they are quite frankly bombarding the corporate space at the moment with their new intelligent switches. Where we've been governed by cisco for so many decades now, who have never updated their firmware, and it's still all command line based, Ubiquiti have now bought intelligent app control utilising new mobile technologies like laser scanner in IOS devices, for an example of what they're doing, just look at this:

www.ui.com

UniFi - Introduction - Ubiquiti

UniFi is building the future of IT. Industry-leading products magically unified in an incredible software interface with scalable, license-free cloud management.
www.ui.com www.ui.com
 
B

Bigfoot

Grand Master
My experience with Powerline adaptors was poor. They kept disconnecting and had to be repeatedly reset. They were soon filed under R for rubbish. They work for some homes and not for others.
 
AgentCooper

AgentCooper

At Least I Have Chicken
Moderator
SpyderTracks said:
Just furthermore, Ubiquiti are an American company that have only recently really come into the home section over in the UK, but they've been around in the corporate space for quite a while now, they really pioneered a lot of long range Wi-Fi / microwave communications and really were the ones to successfully bring mesh Wi-Fi to the mainstream.

They are ones to watch, they are quite frankly bombarding the corporate space at the moment with their new intelligent switches. Where we've been governed by cisco for so many decades now, who have never updated their firmware, and it's still all command line based, Ubiquiti have now bought intelligent app control utilising new mobile technologies like laser scanner in IOS devices, for an example of what they're doing, just look at this:

www.ui.com

UniFi - Introduction - Ubiquiti

UniFi is building the future of IT. Industry-leading products magically unified in an incredible software interface with scalable, license-free cloud management.
www.ui.com www.ui.com
Click to expand...
When Mrs C and I move into our forever house I’ll send you the floor plan and let you plot my mesh setup 👍
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
AgentCooper said:
When Mrs C and I move into our forever house I’ll send you the floor plan and let you plot my mesh setup 👍
Click to expand...
It would be my honour!

@Bhuna50 and I went over a few things before he invested in Mesh, sounds like he's very happy with the results and it's blanketing his garden as well.

It's so worth the investment, just so worth it, I can't describe the difference, I just never ever have any dropouts or slow downs any more, literally since the day I installed it around 4 years ago I think. Absolutely bullet proof.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Bigfoot said:
My experience with Powerline adaptors was poor. They kept disconnecting and had to be repeatedly reset. They were soon filed under R for rubbish. They work for some homes and not for others.
Click to expand...
I personally would have to mimic your feedback here, I had poor experience as well, constantly having to reset them as they just dropped connection for no reason.

If it were me, I'd still strongly recommend investing in mesh.
 
T

TonyCarter

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
...and t provide a counterpoint to the powerline adapters being useless...mine have been fine!

But as has been said, it will depend on the house/wiring. My friend in Cornwall finds both power line and mesh systems useless in his listed 16th century farmhouse buildings (3 feet thick walls) - and has run Cat6 everywhere instead. He's even put cable up to the roof and between buildings to reach the workshops and holiday cottages, where he then has a wifi routers to propagate the signal to each building/room.

I use a Devolo Magic 2–2400 Wi-Fi Next Whole Home Kit - which I bought early 2020 to replace 7 year old Devolo dLAN 500 AV Plus set that were still working but wouldn't take advantage of my upcoming 1gig Virgin broadband (eventually settled for the 600mbps instead).

Only went for these as I needed a couple of ethernet ports along with the wifi capability...otherwise I'd have swapped them out for a simple mesh system when I upgraded...and there was a special offer on at the time, so I paid about £100 less than RRP.

It does advertise itself as a 'mesh' system too, which I suppose it is as it seamlessly connects to the stronger signal as I move around the house...and I get a decent throughput on our wiring (1930s house, but has been rewired at least twice since then due to renovations).

This is the current connection speed I'm seeing in the dashboard between the adapter connected to the router and the adapter covering upstairs...so plenty fast enough to use the whole capacity that my VM broadband can supply.

2021-08-23_10-50-34.png


This is the direct VM broadband performance (with a SamKnows Whitebox connected)...
2021-08-23_10-59-07.png


This is the wifi performance in the same room at the upstairs adapter...
IMG_4626.PNG


This is the wifi performance in the furthest room from the upstairs adapter...
IMG_4628.PNG
 
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Bhuna50

Bhuna50

Author Level
I went with this Mesh - getting excellent coverage throughout house and garden now:

TP-Link Deco M5 Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System, Up to 5500 sq ft Coverage, Compatible with Amazon Echo/Alexa, Antivirus Security Protection and Parental Controls, Pack of 3 : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Buy TP-Link Deco M5 Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System, Up to 5500 sq ft Coverage, Compatible with Amazon Echo/Alexa, Antivirus Security Protection and Parental Controls, Pack of 3 at Amazon UK. Free delivery and return on eligible orders.
www.amazon.co.uk
 
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